BURFI

Burfi (a great Indian recipe)

Ingredients:-

500g Klim (Milk Powder)
1 tin nestle cream (small)
1 teaspoon cardamom powder

method:

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl together until it resembles bread crumbs. Let it rest for 2 hours, then grind in a coffee grinder. Then make the syrup as follows:-

Use:

2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon rose essence
65g butter

Boil together till it forms a thick syrup but it shouldn't crystallise, remove from heat, then mix the dry ingredients into the syrup and allow to rest for half an hour. Now set in a platter and cut into pieces or if you like cut into shapes, or use an ice cream scoop to scoop up burfi and place into paper/foil cups.

Can be decorated with almonds, pistachios etc.

MAKE GREEN CHILI SAUCE AT HOME

How to make Green Chilli sauce at Home

Ingredients:
1/4 cup garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup heaped, green chili pieces (medium spicy)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water (or as needed)

Method:
1) Put garlic, green chilies, salt and sugar in a mixer. Grind well. Add water and grind again to make a fine paste.
2) Strain the paste through a medium mesh. Press with a ladle to extract more. Add vinegar in the strained sauce. Pour into a small jar and store in the fridge.

Tips:
1) Do not use very spicy chilies. Choose chilies with light green color and thin skin.
2) After straining the sauce, you will get chili-garlic remnant in the strainer. Use it for making batata wada.
3) Check the taste and add more vinegar if you like.

KHAJOOOR NA GHUGHARA

Khajoor Na Ghughara 

Ingredients:-

250 grams Dates, seeded and coarsely grounded 
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup ghee 
6 green cardamoms, powdered 
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup coconut desiccated 
2tsp ground poppy seeds
ghee for frying
1 cup refined flour
salt to taste

Method:-

1. Take a bowl, add flour in it and add ghee of 1/2 cup in it. Add salt and milk in the flour. Mix it with your hands to make dough. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes to make it soft. Make small balls of dough, cover them and keep them aside.

2. Take a bowl, add ground dates, poppy seeds, green cardamom powder, desiccated coconut and sugar in it. Mix all these ingredients to make a smooth mixture. Take balls of dough and roll them in circular shape.

3. Now place the date mixture on one side of it. Then fold the other side to make its shape like a semi circle. Seal the ends and cut with the cutter.

4. Take a kadai, place it over heat. Heat ghee in it and fry them in hot ghee until they turn golden brown in color. Take them out from kadai and serve them as sweet snacks with tea.

KHAJUR IMLI CHUTNEY

Khajur Imli Chutney

Ingredients:-

1 cup deseeded dates (khajur)
2 tbsp deseeded tamarind (Imli)
1/2 cup grated jaggery (gur)

1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) powder
salt to taste

Method:-

1.Clean and wash the dates and the tamarind.

2.Combine the dates, tamarind, jaggery and 1 cup of water in a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

3.Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.

4.Cool slightly and blend in a mixer to a smooth paste and strain the mixture using a sieve.

5.Add 1 cup of water, chilli powder, cumin seeds powder and salt, and mix well.

6.Use as required or store refrigerated.

AMLA PICKLE

Amla Pickle (Healthy for Hair)

Ingredients:-

500 gram Amla ( gooseberry)
250 gram grated jaggery (gud)
6 teaspoon salt
2 table spoon yello/black mustard seeds / you can also use Rai Dal i.e split mustard seeds / Rai na kuria
12 tablespoon badi saunf (fennel seeds)
3/4 cup mustard (sarson/Rai)/peanut oil
1 teaspoon Black pepper (kali mirch/ mari)
1 teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)

Method:-

1. Wash amla with clean water and wipe it dry with towel.

2. Cut it into pieces and remove seeds from it. Add 3 teaspoon salt and keep it covered for 1 day.

3.Remove the water diffused by amlas.

4. Roast mustard seeds and badi saunf (fennel seeds) and grind it into powder.

5. Add this roasted mustard- saunf powder in amlas. Add 3 teaspoon salt and jaggery to it and mix it nicely.

6. Heat the oil in a pan and add black pepper/Kali mirch/mari to it, fry it for few seconds until it swells, turn the heat off and add hing to it.Let the oil cool down.

7. Now add this oil in amla pickle. Mix it and keep it in sun for 10-15 days. Mix the pickle once everyday.

8. you can store this pickle for 4-5 months.

VADA PAV (STREET FOOD)

Vada Pav:

" Vada Pav - The Great Indian Burger" , must be one of the most loved street foods. Vada is a spicy potato mixture with a coating of gram flour, deep fried in oil. Pav is a special kind of soft bread, almost square or round in shape. The chutneys for this were very easy to make. I made all the three chutneys even though the green chutney and the red garlic chutney are the most frequently used ones. Sweet chutney is not always a part of it.  

Ingredients for Vada stuffing:

3 cups boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes (that is about 4 big potatoes)
1/2 tea spn cumin seeds
1/2 tea spn mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tea spn ginger garlic paste
2 green chilies
3-4 strands coriander leaves
1/2 cup chopped onion
A pinch turmeric
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat a little oil and add mustard, cumin seeds.
2. When it starts popping, add curry leaves, green chilies, ginger garlic paste, onions and fry till onions turn translucent.
3. Add the potatoes, turmeric, salt and mix well. If there are any big pieces of potatoes, add a little water and close and cook for few minutes, then mash and mixed well.
4. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix. Let it cool a bit.

Ingredients for Vada coating:

1/2 cup gram flour (besan)
1 tbl spn rice flour (added for crispiness)
1/2 tea spn chili powder
Salt

Method:

1. Mix all the above ingredients with water to make a smooth paste.
2. As soon as water it added to the flours, it starts becoming lumps, so mix it with hand to remove lumps or use a egg whisk.
3. Do not make it too thin, the coating does not hold on to the stuffing it is too thin.

Making Vadas:

1. Heat oil for deep frying.
2. Make a ping-pong ball sized round from the stuffing.
3. Dip the ball into the coating batter and deep fry in hot oil.
4. Take out on a paper towel.

Ingredients for Green chutney:

9-10 strands coriander leaves
Few mint leaves (optional, I didn’t use it)
3 green chilies
1″ piece ginger (optional)
Salt

Method:

1. Grind all to a smooth paste.
2. Do not make too watery.

Ingredients for Red chutney:

1 cup dried coconut (or dessicated coconut)
2 tbl spns chili powder
1 tea spn chopped garlic
1/4 tea spn tamarind extract or 1-2 pieces of tamarind (optional, added for tanginess)
Salt

Method:

1. Dry roast coconut and tamarind till it turns slightly brownish.
2. Grind together with all other ingredients.
3. This is dry powder, so do not add water.
4. It can be stored in air tight containers for about a month.

Making Vada Pav:

1. Take a Pav , Cut open the rolls horizontally, taking care one end is still connected.
2. Apply chutneys to pav as desired.
3. Slightly press the vada to flatten it.
4. Keep it on one half of the pav and cover with other half. Slightly press down.
5. Serve hot with Green Chili

BHAKHARVADI

Ingredients:

For Dough:
All Purpose Flour / Maida-1 cup
Gram flour / Kadalai Mavu / Besan-3/4 cup
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder / Malli podi- 1 tsp
Oil-1 tblspn
Salt to taste
Water as needed

For Stuffing:
Desiccated Coconut / Koparai -1 cup
Sesame seeds / Ellu – ¼ cup
Ginger -1 tsp minced
Coriander powder / Malli Podi-1 tsp
Chilli Powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder / Manjal podi-1 tsp
Cumin powder / Jeerakam-1 tsp
Poppy seeds / Kasa Kasa / Khuskhus / Posto-1 tblspn
Green Chilli-1 minced
Asafoetida – ¼ tsp
Sugar-1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Take all ingrediants for dough in a mixing bowl except water..Rub verything with your hands..

2. Pour in water and make into a soft dough..Apply some oil on top and let it rest for 30 mins.

3. Now make stuffing by dry roasting coconut, poppy seeds, sesame seeds till it gets nice aroma and colour.

4. Switch off the flame and add in turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin powder and mix well..

5. Add in salt, sugar, chillies, ginger and some asafoetida and mix well..

6. Remove this in a bowl and allow it to cool down.

7. Now take the dough and divide into equal portions.Mean time divide the filling into equal portions.

8. Take one dough and roll into thin circle..Rub some water over the top generously.

9. Take a good amount of filling and spread on top..Press with your hands firmly so that the filling sticks to the dough.

10. Now start rolling from one side..Roll firmly and tightly.

11. Now cut into equal portions and set aside.

12. Heat oil to a medium heat...Please don’t fry this in high heat.

13. Drop this bakarwadi in the oil and fry on a low flame till golden brown.It will take around 10-15 mins.

14. Remove and drain in a paper towel.

15. Serve hot with chai or store the cooled bakarwadis in a air tight container.

SHAHI TUKDA

Shahi Tukda:

INGREDIENTS:
6 slices Bread- sliced
Oil to deep fry
2 tbsp Ghee
1 cup Full Cream Milk
2 tbsp Pista, blanched and chopped
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Water
1 eliachi (Cardamom) powdered
4-5 badam (Almonds) toasted and sliced
Few strands of kesar(saffron)

METHOD:

• First you need to cut the edges of the bread. Thereafter, cut it diagonally to form 2 triangles. Fry them in hot oil until brown and crisp

• To make the sugar syrup, mix sugar and water and set the mixture to boil. Now, simmer the solution for about 10 minutes and add powdered elachi into it.

• Take a pan and set the milk to boil. Simmer it until it reduces to 1/4th quantity. Keep stirring occasionally so that it does not stick to the pan. Now, add pista and few strands of saffron to the thickened milk.

• Apply ghee on the sides of the bread and lightly fry them until they turn golden brown on both sides. Dip the bread pieces into sugar syrup, drain well

• Arrange the fried bread on a plate.

• Now, spread the milk mixture onto the bread and sprinkle some almonds, pista and saffron strands over it.

• Chill it and serve when it is chill!!

Coconut Chutney:

Coconut Chutney:

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

(A) For the Chutney:

• 1 cup fresh grated coconut or 1 cup desiccated coconut (coconut powder)
• 2 tbsp roasted chana dal (bhuna chana)
• 1 green chili/hari mirch
• ½ inch ginger/adrak
• salt

(B) For the tempering:

• 1 tsp urad dal (split, skinned black gram)
• ¾ tsp mustard seeds/rai or sarson
• ¾ tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• 1 sprig of curry leaves/kadi patta
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing
• 1 red chili/sabut lal mirch
• 1 tbsp oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grind together all the ingredients mentioned in (A) with little water to a smooth consistency.
2. Heat oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cumin seeds and urad dal. Fry till the urad dal till it becomes brown.
3. Then add the curry leaves, red chili and asafoetida.
4. Fry for a minute. Immediately pour the tempering on the coconut chutney.
5. Mix it well with the coconut chutney.
6. Serve coconut chutney with any Idli, dosa, vada or pakod of your choice.

South Indian Sambhar

Here is the recipe for Sambhar you can prepare easily at home. The Sambhar is full of vegetables and Dal which makes it a healthy dish you can enjoy with Idli, Dosa or Plain rice. You should consider adding Sambhar to you diet plan.

Ingredients
3/4 cup Arhar Dal/ Toor Dal
1/2 cup Bottle guard / Lauki, chopped
1/2 cup Pumpkin /Kaddu, chopped
2 Potato, chopped
1/4 cup Carrot, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 Onion
small pinch Asafetida, hing
2 Tomato, chopped
3 Green chili, chopped
2 tbsp Sambhar Powder
Salt to taste
3-4 cup Water
1/4 cup Tamarind juice

Method:

1.Peel off the skin of Pumpkin, bottle gourd, carrot and potato. Chop it into 1/2 inch cubes. Clean and wash the dal. In a pressure cooker, add washed dal, chopped vegetables, water, turmeric powder and salt. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and pressure cook it on a high flame for one whistle, then keep the flame low and cook for another 8-10 minutes. Switch off the flame.

2. Open cooker, and mix it well.

3. Heat the wok with oil and saute with onion and asafetida. Fry it till the onion is translucent in the color.

4. Add chopped tomato, green chili and salt. Cook it on a medium flame till the tomato is mushy.

5. Add cooked vegetables along with dal in the wok and mix it well. Add tamarind juice.

6. Add 2 tbsp sambhar powder, mix it well.

7. Check the consistency of the the sambhar, adjust water and salt according to your taste. Cook it on a medium flame for 6-7 minutes. Switch off the flame. Delicious and healthy sambhar is ready to serve, Serve hot with Dosa, Idli and Rice.

How To Make Sambhar Powder

This is a step by step guide to prepare Sambhar Masala Powder at home. You can prepare it and keep it stocked in your kitchen if you enjoy having South Indian food like Idli and Dosa. You would require 3 teaspoons of this Masala to prepare Sambhar for 5 people if you take half a cup of Dal and One Cup of Mixed vegetables. 

Follow this easy step by step instructions to prepare Sambhar Masala Power at home.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp Coriander seeds, khadi dhaniya
• 12-14 Dry red Chili
• 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds / Methi dana
• 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds/ sarso
• 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds/ zeera
• 3 tbsp Bengal gram/ chana dal
• 2 teaspoon Black pepper/ kali mirch

Method:

1.  Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned in the table above ” Ingredients for Sambhar powder” on a low flame till nice aroma comes from the spices. Keep stirring so that the spices roast evenly.  Switch off the flame. Let it cool at the room temperature.

2. Take the roasted spices in a grinder and grind it to make fine powder. Don’t add water while grinding the spices.

3. Put the ground spices in a air tight container and use when requires. Fresh sambhar powder is ready.

LETS SEE HOW TO MAKE DAL KI GHUJIYA

 DAL KI GHUJIYA

Ingredients
2 CUP RICE FLOUR
1 CUP CHANA DAL/ BENGAL GRAM LENTILS
1/2 CUP UDAD DAL/ WHITE SPLIT LENTILS
1 BUNCH CORIANDER LEAVES
1/2 CUP CHOPPED DILL LEAVES
7-8 GREEN CHILI
8-10 FLAKES GARLIC
SALT TO TASTE
LUKE WARM WATER TO KNEAD THE DOUGH

Method:

1. Clean, wash and soak the chana and urad dal overnight. Strain the water using a strainer. In a grinder, add soaked chana and urad dal and grind it to make a fine paste. You can add 1 tbsp water while grinding it. don’t add too much water while grinding. we need thick ground dal for this recipe.

2. Take the ground dal in a bowl, I ground the dal in two batches.

3. In  a grinder, add garlic and green chili. Grind it coarsely.

4. Wash the coriander and dill leaves well. Chop it finely.

5. In a broad bowl, add ground dal, ground chili-garlic paste, chopped coriander and dill leaves and salt. Mix it well. Stuffing is ready.

6. Take the flour in a bowl and add luke-warm water. Knead it well to make it soft and stiff dough.

7. Divide the dough into 18-20 equal portions. take one portion of the dough and flatten it in between your palms in a circle of 3-4 inches in diameter.

8. Put 2 teaspoon stuffing in the center of the circle.

9. Do the same with the rest of the dough. And give it a start shape 

10. Steam cook it for 15-20 minutes on a medium flame (I used my kadhaifor steam cooking). Fill 2 glass of water in the kadhai and put a cylindrical kitchen strainer and then place the ghujhiya on it.

ICE CREAM TIPS

ICE CREAM TIPS.....

TIPS:   Always chill glasses before preparing the icecream in it. This way it will stay stiff longer.

TIPS:   Use aluminium containers instead of steel to set the icecream faster. Also, place a thick plactic sheet or spread some salt under the container to keep it from sticking to the floor of the freezer.

TIPS:   Never try to refreeze icecream which has melted completely due to reasons like electricity breakdown. The result will taste disastrous. Instead, add you favourite flavour or fruit and run in a mixie to make delicious milk shake.

TIPS:   For simple but extravagant looking topping, take 2-3 healthy strawberries. Make incisions vertically from tip to base, to form slices. But do not cut fully. Stop just below the base. Now press sideways gently, to form a fan shaped strawberry. Use as topping decor for cakes, icecreams, puddings, etc.

TIPS:   It is best to defrost the fridge before making icecream, so that the base of the container is not jammed, as also the icecream will set faster and better.

TIPS:   Crush chikki coarsely and use as nougat over cakes and icecreams. Use nuts of your choice.

VERY VERY USEFUL KITCHEN TIPS

TIPS:    Lemons stored in a sealed jar of water will     produce more juice.

TIPS:    Lettuce keeps better if you store in refrigerator without washing first so that the leaves are dry. when you want to use wash it only that day.

TIPS:     When you burn yourself in the kitchen just spread mustard on the affected area. Leave it for a minutes and it will ease the pain and prevent blistering.

TIPS:    A few drops of lemon juice added to simmering rice will keep the rice separate.

TIPS:    When scalding milk, first rinse the pan in cold water to prevent sticking.It will help you out.

TIPS:    Before making popcorn on the stove , soak the kernels in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, then pop as normal. The additional moisture helps the popcorn pop up quicker and fluffier .

TIPS:    Don’t store bananas in a bunch or with other fruits. Separate your bananas and place each in a different location. Bananas release gases which cause fruits to ripen quickly. Separating them will keep them fresh longer.

TIPS:    Baking soda is an extremely effective cleaner,  Use it with vinegar to deodorize drains and clean stovetops and sink and marbels.

WATERMALON JELLY (Allergy Free and Low fat Watermelon Juice Jelly)

Ingredients

• Watermelon - 4 cups (chopped)
• Gelatin - 2 tbs
• Sugar - 1/2 cup (add more if you like it sweeter)
• Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
• Hot water - 1 cup
• Cold water - 1/2 cup

Method

1. Take the gelatin in a sauce pan and add the cold water over it. Let it rest for couple of minutes till the gelatin gets fully soaked.
2. Add the hot water to this and keep stirring till the gelatin fully dissolves in the water.
3. Add the sugar and stir it again till the sugar dissolves. If needed heat the mix over low flame to disslove everything faster.
4. Strain the mix into a large mixing bowl to remove any undissolved particles (if any).
5. Take big chunks of watermelon and blend it to a smooth puree. Strain this also into the same mixing bowl.
6. Add the lemon juice to this and mix everything together. Taste and add more sugar if needed i.e if the watermelon is not sweet enough.
7. You can refrigerate this as such in the bowl till it thicken to a jelly. You can cut this into small cubes and serve.

Alternative Presentation & Serving

1. Another option is to pour this into individual cups or bowl and then refrigerate. Serve as such with a spoon or demould into a serving plate. To demould easily, place the bowls into a larger bowl filled with warm water for about 20 seconds. Now gently invert over the serving plate and serve.
2. I like to make an interesting presentation by making the jelly in watermelon bowls. I cut the watermelon into half and scoop out all the flesh to make the juice. Using a knife scrape off all the flesh as close to the rind as possible so that you are left with watermelon bowls. Now pour the mixture into the watermelon bowls and refrigerate. When it gels up, you just have to cut into slices just like you cut a watermelon and serve. 

VERY USEFUL KITCHEN TIPS YOU WILL LOVE IT

TIPS:     When boiling milk, smear ghee on the edges of the             vessel to prevent overflow.

TIPS:     While making dosas, put two tbsps of cooked rice into       the batter. The dosa will flip over easily and will be crisper.

TIPS:     If you want to keep any salad fresh for an evening party, first chill the bowl or tray in which you intend to serve the salad.

TIPS:     Store mushrooms in paper bags rather plastic bags or trays. This stops them from becoming  slimy  and prolongs their life.

TIPS:     While boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the natural sweetness.

TIPS:     While cooking cabbage, add a bay leaf. This will reduce the smell during cooking and also give a subtle flavor.

TIPS:     While cooking mince, put a whole carrot in with the mince. The carrot will absorb the excess fat in the meat. Remove the carrot when cooked and cut up with other vegetables for soup or simply discard.

TIPS:     To peel an orange or a tomato less messily, dunk it in hot water for a minute or two and then in cold water for the same amount of time. You will have an easy to peel orange or tomato.

TIPS:     Place rolled puris in the fridge for 10 minutes before frying them. They will consume less oil and turn out crisper.

TIPS:     To boil a cracked egg, add some vinegar to the water and place the egg in it. The egg shell will remain inside.

TIPS:     To remove seeds from lemon, just roll it on hard surface applying a little pressure from your palm. Now cut it, you will find all seeds coming out easily.

TIPS:     When you prepare butter at home, you get buttermilk as a by-product. Boil this buttermilk at medium heat, and you will get paneer at no extra cost.

TIPS:     Sprinkle some salt in a frying pan to prevent oil from                splashing.

TIPS:     Do not add salt to rajma and urad dal while boiling. It will take half the time to boil when salt is subtracted.

TIPS:     While steaming fish, place a piece of cheesecloth at the bottom of the pan. The fish can be lifted out without breaking.

TIPS:     Add a little sugar while frying onions; they will turn     pink or brown faster.

TIPS:     To make your omelettes more spongy and soft, add two - three spoons of milk to the egg batter and mix properly.

TIPS:     If oil used for frying turns dark, add a teaspoon of white vinegar, cover with a lid and keep on slow flame. When the spluttering stops, remove the lid; the oil will have cleared and it can be strained and re-used.

TIPS:     Soak two slices of bread in a cup of coconut-water and with half a tablespoon of sugar. Then blend and use the mix in your idli or hoppers batter to ferment it.

TIPS:     If you saut  sliced onions without oil, the moisture content in the onions will be reduced faster. You can then add a little oil to saut  the onions. This way, you tend to use less oil and your sauting is faster.